ROME — A deadly heatwave gripping Europe pushed further east on Monday, with authorities in Italy, the Balkans and Poland warning of extreme wildfire risk as the death toll across the continent topped 1,300, according to the World Health Organization.
Italian authorities placed 22 cities under red heat warnings on Monday, ranging from Bolzano in the north to Palermo in Sicily, while Croatia's weather service issued red alerts for several regions including the capital, Zagreb, and the tourist cities of Split and Dubrovnik. On the Adriatic island of Vis, dozens of firefighters backed by four aircraft battled a wildfire burning through pine forests southwest of Split, while firefighters in Albania contained a separate blaze near the village of Klos, authorities said.
The WHO said 1,300 excess deaths have been reported across the continent since June 21, with France alone reporting 1,000 excess deaths linked to the heat, mostly among people over 65, according to its public health agency, which warned the toll was expected to rise.
In Poland, a temperature of 40.5°C was recorded in Słubice on June 28, the highest ever registered in the country, surpassing a 1921 record, while authorities reported a heat-related death in the city of Chełm, according to national meteorological data.
Much of the Balkans remained under extreme heat, with temperatures above 35°C forecast across parts of Croatia, Serbia, Romania and Hungary. Italian Air Force meteorologist Daniele Mocio said temperatures were expected to remain eight to 10 degrees Celsius above average for several more days.
Scientists said the heatwave would have been "virtually impossible" without human-caused climate change. Italian Meteorological Society president Luca Mercalli told Reuters that while wildfire risk remains elevated due to the extreme heat, localized rainstorms have offered some mitigation in certain areas, though their effect varies by location.
The heatwave, which began in late May and intensified through June, has shattered temperature records in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal and elsewhere. Authorities in affected countries continue to monitor conditions as the high-pressure system shifts eastward.
